FEMA-Built Travel Trailer Sites Closed
Before June 1 DeadlineTemporary Housing Mission Does Not End

From: FEMA filed 5/27/08 GCN

BILOXI, Miss.
– Nearly three years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, a portion
of the federal temporary housing mission has come to an end. Thirty-four
of the forty-two temporary housing sites built by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) at the height of disaster recovery operations
were closed as of May 16, 2008.

FEMA continues to
relocate families to safer and more secure housing. The deadline for
federal housing assistance remains until March 1, 2009, said Sid Melton,
director of FEMA’s Mississippi Transitional Recovery Office.

Through a concerted
effort by volunteer agencies, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency
(MEMA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and FEMA
Individual Assistance, approximately 1,063 families have moved from
temporary housing units in the closed FEMA sites.

Eight mobile home
FEMA-built sites remain open and FEMA expects them to be closed by year’s
end. More than 6,400 families still
occupy temporary housing units. More than 75% of those units are located
on the private property of families rebuilding their homes.

“The June 1st
date was our deadline to relocate families living in FEMA travel trailers
in the temporary housing sites. With
the help of various organizations, we’ve done that but we will not stop
here. We still have a lot of work to do,” said Melton.

“Our
mission remains helping families leave temporary housing and achieve
permanency in a safer, more secure living environment. We’re using several
different avenues of assistance including our Voluntary Agency Liaisons
(VAL).”

FEMA VAL provides a
key link between FEMA applicants and local voluntary agencies or Long Term
Recovery Committees, often easing the transition from FEMA assistance to
voluntary agency aid. FEMA recently granted additional funding for Long
Term Recovery Committees through its Cora Brown Fund. The funds will allow
much-need case management services to continue.

VAL also has held 15
Helping Hands Workshops along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The workshops
assemble a panel of participants who offer resources to assist occupants
in their recovery. The next workshop will be held in June; more details to
follow.

“We understand
different counties face different housing challenges; every county
differs,” said Melton. “That’s why we continue to use every resource
available to us to address those various challenges.”

FEMA has additional
programs available to assist occupants in their transition from temporary
housing to permanent housing. Occupants who have questions about available
assistance should speak with their FEMA Housing Advisor or contact the
Mississippi Maintenance Applicant Support Call Center at 866-877-6075.

The Disaster Housing
Assistance Program (DHAP) is a pilot federal housing assistance grant
program recently implemented by HUD and FEMA. DHAP will extend rental
coverage for families displaced by Katrina by providing temporary rent
subsidies for non-HUD assisted individuals and families. The DHAP is
administered by Public Housing Agencies (PHA) that are currently
administering a housing choice voucher program.

The DHAP Disaster
Rent Subsidy Contract, an agreement between the PHA and the owner of a
unit, ensures that families receiving assistance under the DHAP comply
with family obligations during their participation in the program. The
program, which operates until March 1, 2009, will give displaced families
more time to rebuild their lives. The DHAP, established through an
interagency agreement between HUD and FEMA, will be vital for helping
families in their personal recovery and achieve
self-sufficiency.

HUD has established a
call center for DHAP applicants and landlords interested in participating
in DHAP. Interested parties can contact the DHAP Call Center at
866-373-9509.

At this point in the
federal housing assistance effort, occupants may transition directly into
DHAP. FEMA Individual Assistance teams will refer occupants to DHAP and
assist families in creating a transition packet. A FEMA-HUD liaison will
review the packet and close the transitional process.

“We’re making every
effort to find alternative solutions. But we need help from the occupants;
help us help you,” said Melton.

The Mississippi
Alternative Housing Program has helped more than 2,500 families transition
from FEMA temporary housing into a Mississippi Cottage.The Mississippi Alternative Housing
Program is the result of a $280 million federal grant awarded to
Mississippi. The goals of the program are to develop and evaluate safer
and more comfortable alternatives to current disaster housing units for
future disasters. MEMA is administering the 24-month long program.

In February, FEMA
officials reiterated FEMA’s commitment to assisting families in their
personal recovery and ramped up efforts to relocate temporary housing
occupants into more permanent housing.

“Nearly all of the
families that have requested relocation due to health, safety or special
needs concerns have been relocated,” said Melton. “If occupants have
health-related concerns about their occupied unit, they can still request
a formaldehyde test. Testing is ongoing; we’re still relocating families.”

FEMA coordinates
the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the
effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters,
whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Disaster recovery assistance is available
without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age,
disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you
know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA
(3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.